Dimensional Fund Advisors LP Boosts Position in MSC Industrial Direct Company, Inc. $MSM

Dimensional Fund Advisors LP boosted its stake in shares of MSC Industrial Direct Company, Inc. (NYSE:MSM) by 1.2% in the third quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 1,322,432 shares of the industrial products company’s stock after buying an additional 15,765 shares during the quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP owned approximately 2.37% of MSC Industrial Direct worth $121,842,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other hedge funds have also added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Cresset Asset Management LLC bought a new position in MSC Industrial Direct in the 3rd quarter worth about $681,000. Level Four Advisory Services LLC raised its stake in shares of MSC Industrial Direct by 1.4% during the third quarter. Level Four Advisory Services LLC now owns 34,085 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $3,141,000 after acquiring an additional 465 shares in the last quarter. Kingsview Wealth Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of MSC Industrial Direct in the third quarter valued at approximately $3,080,000. Elo Mutual Pension Insurance Co bought a new position in MSC Industrial Direct in the third quarter worth approximately $1,096,000. Finally, R Squared Ltd bought a new position in MSC Industrial Direct in the third quarter worth approximately $449,000. 79.26% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

MSC Industrial Direct Price Performance

Shares of MSM opened at $92.46 on Thursday. The company has a market cap of $5.16 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 25.26 and a beta of 0.81. MSC Industrial Direct Company, Inc. has a twelve month low of $68.10 and a twelve month high of $96.99. The company has a quick ratio of 0.82, a current ratio of 1.73 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.15. The company has a 50 day moving average of $89.38 and a two-hundred day moving average of $88.49.

MSC Industrial Direct (NYSE:MSM) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, January 7th. The industrial products company reported $0.99 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.95 by $0.04. MSC Industrial Direct had a return on equity of 15.73% and a net margin of 5.37%.The business had revenue of $965.68 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $962.52 million. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $0.86 earnings per share. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 4.0% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, analysts predict that MSC Industrial Direct Company, Inc. will post 3.57 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

MSC Industrial Direct Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, January 28th. Investors of record on Wednesday, January 14th were given a dividend of $0.87 per share. This represents a $3.48 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.8%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Wednesday, January 14th. MSC Industrial Direct’s dividend payout ratio is currently 95.08%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research analysts have commented on MSM shares. Robert W. Baird set a $94.00 price objective on MSC Industrial Direct in a report on Thursday, January 8th. Jefferies Financial Group reissued a “hold” rating and set a $85.00 price target on shares of MSC Industrial Direct in a research report on Thursday, January 8th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. restated a “neutral” rating and issued a $95.00 price objective on shares of MSC Industrial Direct in a report on Friday, February 6th. iA Financial set a $95.00 price objective on shares of MSC Industrial Direct in a research note on Friday, February 6th. Finally, Weiss Ratings reiterated a “hold (c)” rating on shares of MSC Industrial Direct in a report on Wednesday, January 28th. Nine analysts have rated the stock with a Hold rating, According to data from MarketBeat.com, MSC Industrial Direct presently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $90.50.

About MSC Industrial Direct

MSC Industrial Direct Co, Inc (NYSE: MSM) is a leading distributor of metalworking and maintenance, repair and operations (MRO) products serving a broad range of industrial customers across North America. The company offers an extensive portfolio of cutting tools, abrasives, measuring and inspection instruments, fasteners, safety supplies and other essential components used in manufacturing, metalworking and production environments. MSC delivers products through a multi-channel distribution network, including an extensive branch system, e-commerce platform and dedicated sales force.

In addition to its core product offerings, MSC Industrial Direct provides value-added services designed to improve productivity and reduce downtime for its customers.